Cable Assemblies for Marine & Outdoor Equipment
Water finds the one place the design assumed it would not go. On marine and outdoor equipment, the ingress path is almost never the connector face — it is the overmold-to-jacket interface, the insert-to-housing fit, or a jacket that has gone brittle under UV.
HKWIRE is a custom cable assembly manufacturer and OEM/ODM supplier in Longgang, Shenzhen. Waterproof assemblies are overmolded on tooling we cut ourselves, and every unit is screened for leaks before it leaves the floor.
What this application demands
These are the constraints that change the design. Everything else is a normal cable.
- Salt spray corrosion
- Tested to ASTM B117 at 5% NaCl. Hours alone mean nothing without an acceptance criterion — ours is no red rust and contact resistance rise under 10%.
- UV exposure
- Standard PVC chalks and stiffens outdoors. PUR and UV-stabilized compounds are specified for exposed runs.
- Ingress protection
- IP67, IP68 and IP69K geometries, achieved through jacket bond and insert fit — both tooling decisions.
- Direct burial
- Jacket selection and overmold sealing for permanent below-grade installation.
- Temperature extremes
- Cold-flex behavior of the jacket and overmold, not just the rated operating range.
Typical builds
- Waterproof overmolded connector assemblies
- IP67 and IP68 sensor and power cables
- Direct-burial cable runs
- Mast, deck and bulkhead feedthroughs
- UV-resistant jacketed power cords and extension assemblies
Marine and outdoor assemblies we build
- IP67 Waterproof DC Extension Cable 5.5×2.1mm Male to Female, 2 / 3 / 5 m
- NMEA 2000 Bulkhead Connector with Micro-C and OneNet Options
- Dual USB IP67 Waterproof Cable
- IP67 USB Extension Waterproof Cable
- IP67 Waterproof M12 Molded Cable
- IP68 Deck Feedthrough Cable with RJ45 Pass-Through
- M12 8-Pin A-Coded IP67 Waterproof Male-Female Extension Cable
- IP67 2-Pin Waterproof Connector Cable
- IP67 RJ45 Patch Cable, Dual-Use Waterproof Shielded Ethernet Jumper with Retractable Boot
- IP67 Waterproof USB-C Screw Cable, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps, Panel Mount Option
How we test sealing, and what the numbers mean
| Test | Method | Typical limit |
|---|---|---|
| IP67 | Immersion, 1 m for 30 minutes | No ingress |
| IP68 | Immersion, 1.5 m for 1 hour | No ingress |
| Salt spray | ASTM B117, 5% NaCl | 24 / 48 h; 96 / 168 h; 240 / 480 h options |
| 100% production screening | Air-leakage test | 30–50 kPa, every unit |
Two things we insist on stating. First, salt-spray hours are meaningless without an acceptance criterion — ours is no red rust and contact-resistance rise below 10%. Second, we screen 100% of sealed assemblies by air leakage at 30–50 kPa, and verify by periodic water immersion. Air leakage catches the seal defects before a unit reaches the water.
What we ask before quoting
Answer these with the drawing and the quotation will be meaningful on the first pass.
- Installation environment: submersion depth and duration, splash, or burial
- Target IP rating and the test method you will use to verify it
- Salt-spray hours required, and your acceptance criterion
- Jacket constraints: UV exposure, halogen-free, color
- Mating connector part numbers and annual volume
Sealing we can prove, from a factory you can visit
Sealing is a tooling problem before it is a materials problem. Overmold and injection tooling is designed and cut in our own tool room, so when a leak shows up in testing, the mold can be corrected on site rather than re-ordered from someone else.
IP-rated builds get 100% air-leakage screening on the line, with water-immersion testing reserved for periodic verification. Salt-spray hours are reported with the acceptance criterion stated, because hours alone do not define pass or fail — see testing and validation. Assembly follows IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 workmanship criteria under an ISO 9001 certified quality management system. Audits, in person or by live video, are welcome.
What to send with your RFQ
- Installation environment — submersion depth and duration, splash, or burial
- Target IP rating and the test method you will verify it with
- Salt-spray hours required and your acceptance criterion
- Jacket constraints — UV exposure, halogen-free, color — plus annual volume
See overmolding for how the seals are made.
Send the specification and the mating connectors
We will confirm what the cable has to survive, flag anything that will cost you money without adding function, and quote against your drawing.
Marine & outdoor cable FAQ
Can you guarantee IP68?
We build to the depth and duration you specify and screen every unit for leaks. IP68 is an agreed condition, not a universal rating — state the depth, duration and verification method with the RFQ. Every IP-rated waterproof cable assembly we ship is screened to the depth and duration written into the RFQ.
How many salt-spray hours can you run?
24/48 h, 96/168 h and 240/480 h options to ASTM B117 with 5% NaCl. We state the acceptance criterion with the hours: no red rust, and contact-resistance rise below 10%.
Do you screen every unit or just sample?
Every unit. IP-rated builds get 100% air-leakage screening on the line at 30–50 kPa, with water-immersion testing used for periodic verification.
Can you do direct-burial runs?
Yes. Jacket selection, UV resistance and burial rating are part of the construction we quote, stated in writing so the specification is verifiable on delivery.
Can we audit the factory?
Yes. On-site audits or a live video walk-through of the molding area and test benches can be arranged in advance.
Can you supply IP68 assemblies under our brand?
Yes. We work as an OEM and ODM manufacturer and supplier: your brand, your labeling and your packaging, built to the sealing specification you approve.
Do you build IP67 connector assemblies?
Yes, including IP67 connector assemblies in 2-pin and multi-pin configurations, overmolded at the connector and at the panel feedthrough, and screened for leaks by the manufacturer before packing.